Charge: St. Paul man hid in alley before fatally shooting driver

A 30-year-old St. Paul has been arrested and charged with murder after a shooting left one dead on the city's East Side last week.

Prosecutors in Ramsey County have charged Lawrence D. Phelps with one count of 2nd-degree murder in connection with the June 24 death of 22-year-old Royce D. McKinney.

Police also arrested Phelps' 17-year-old brother in connection with the investigation; he's charged in juvenile court with one count of possession of a handgun.

According to the criminal complaint filed Monday, officers responded to the area of Van Dyke Street and York Avenue just after 10:30 p.m. the night of the murder on reports of gunshots.

Police found a Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into a tree and a man, later identified as McKinney, unconscious in the driver's seat with an apparent gunshot wound to his upper left torso.

Medics pronounced McKinney dead at the scene and investigators observed multiple bullet holes on the vehicle.

According to the charge, surveillance footage from the incident shows the Tahoe being driven out of the alley to the south of Van Dyke Street at a high rate of speed.

Minutes later, the suspected shooter is shown running west in the same alley.

Officers collected spent shell casings in the driveway and alley between two homes on the 1800 block of Sims Avenue, including the home where Phelps lives.

According to the complaint, investigators were familiar with Phelps' home because his 17-year-old brother has been investigated and arrested in connection with robbery incidents in St. Paul.

Believing Phelps' brother's physical appearance matched that of the suspected shooter shown in surveillance footage, officers arrested the teen during a high-risk traffic stop the day after the murder.

According to the complaint, the teen admitted there was a gun in his bag and then asked, "what am I wanted for, murder?" before later denying the backpack was his.

The teen spoke with investigators, but did not share any information indicating his older brother was involved with the murder, the charge states.

While he confirmed he knew the gun was involved in the murder, he claimed the perpetrator was a friend of his mother's known as "Derrick", according to the complaint.

Investigators spoke to the teen's mother, who denied the existence of "Derrick" and said she heard a vehicle engine revving outside the house before the shots were fired.

Police again reviewed surveillance footage and determined the teen's older brother, Phelps, also has the tall, thin build of the suspect shown in the alleyway footage.

Phelps' younger brother requested to speak with police again, this time telling investigators he'd spoken to his mother and now felt comfortable telling the truth about what happened, the charge reads.

According to the complaint, the teen said Phelps had previously stolen marijuana from McKinney and claimed McKinney had shot at Phelps back in March.

The teen said McKinney followed him, Phelps and his six-year-old nephew home from Cub Foods the day of the murder and sat outside the house in his Tahoe revving the engine before leaving the area.

A couple hours later, McKinney returned and was revving his engine outside again when Phelps quickly changed his clothes, grabbed his gun and ran outside, the teen said.

A short time later, several shots were heard and Phelps' family members inside the home hit the floor.

According to the complaint, Phelps' younger brother told police Phelps' returned to the home, quickly changed his clothes and left.

Phelps allegedly told his brother that he'd hid in the alley and when the Tahoe came by, "he jumped out and started shooting," the complaint alleges. Phelps then allegedly took a Lyft to his grandmother's house.

Police arrested Phelps on Friday. During an interview with investigators, he denied having any knowledge of the shooting.